VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — As you prepare for your holiday weekend, one place you may want to stop by is Red Wing Park.
After months of being closed due to construction, the park is open once again this summer.
The sizzles are back at Red Wing Park—just in time for a Fourth of July barbecue. Not only are the grills back, but so are the dog park, tennis ball courts and playgrounds.
"For a holiday weekend, I am absolutely shocked that there aren't more people here," Hope, a Virginia Beach resident, said.
Hope tells News 3 she visits Red Wing Park at least four times a year.
However, this past year, those numbers were down because the park closed in October.
Construction was extended due to the amount of snow received during the winter, making the ground too wet to pave.
The park temporarily reopened in April for the Cherry Blossom Festival but closed once again to finish the job.
Due to heavy traffic getting in, not everyone had a chance to check out the park.
"The line was almost on the highway," Hope said.
Red Wing Park reopened around mid-June. Those checking out the park for the first time since its closure, on Thursday, say they are glad to have this space open again, meaning they will not have to travel across town.
Ashley Ricker, a park visitor, said, "We like to take stroller rides here in the morning, so we had to drive all the way to Mount Trashmore, and that was kind of a bummer. I’m glad to see it open back up."
Some of the improvements made to enhance your experience at Red Wing include a wider entryway, repaved parking lanes and a new traffic pattern.
Now, park visitors will loop around the roadway counterclockwise.
Those who love Red Wing said they just want to see this park remain open for a while.
"It's a real gem," Hope said. "I think it's a treasure for the city."
